Hispanic Couples Retreat Returns to King’s House for Third Year
Belleville, IL
By Fr. Salvador Gonzalez, OMI
Fr. Gonzalez (Center) poses with the team of Missionary Couples
Kings House Retreat Center in Belleville Illinois welcomed for the third year in a row a retreat weekend for Hispanic couples. This year the theme for the retreat was “Couples With a Purpose from God.”
The retreat was led by a team of missionary couples that strongly believe in the sanctity of marriage and the role of marriage in the Church. Many of the team couples and all of the participating couples came from Holy Rosary Parish in Fairmont City, IL. The parish is located in an economically poor neighborhood where the majority of the residents are Hispanic. Fr. Salvador Gonzalez, OMI, from Kings House was part of the team and was happy to welcome the group back to Kings House.
(L-R) Bibiano Calixto, Fr. Salvador Gonzalez, OMI, Leonor Calixto
Mr. Bibiano Calixto and his wife Leonor Calixto, parishioners of Holy Rosary Parish, led the team effort for the weekend, said; “These retreats help to fortify families, they get restored through the love of God that they experience while on retreat.” Leonor said, “We are fortunate to have the Oblates, they are a blessing to have, Father truly is a servant of Christ.” Rafael and Maria Tomas said of the retreat, “This retreat helps us see that there is still much hope in saving troubled marriages, there is much hope even when it’s easier to think the marriage lost.” About their experience at Kings House, the couple said: “The name of the house says it all, we felt like royalty, we were treated as children of the King of Kings, we will always pray for vocations to the Oblate way of life, we need more of them.”
Preaching retreats has been an essential part of the mission of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate from the very beginning. The U. S. Province of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate operates four full-time retreat centers in the country. Click on any of the links below to visit the websites of our retreat centers.
King’s House Retreat and Renewal Center, Belleville, IL
Oblate Renewal Center, San Antonio, TX
Christ the King Retreat Center, Buffalo, MN
Lebh Shomea House of Prayer, Sarita, TX